Historic Fort Laurens

A Fort in the Wilderness

A Revolutionary War outpost in the Ohio wilderness.

Fort Laurens is one of the few Revolutionary War sites in Ohio and therefore offers a unique connection to a less well-known era of Ohio history.

Fort Laurens, named after the president of the Continental Congress Henry Laurens, was completed in 1778 in the Ohio wilderness on the banks of the Tuscarawas River near present day Bolivar in Northeast Ohio. The fort covered approximately one acre. It was surrounded by a wooden stockade which enclosed barracks, storehouses and other buildings. The fort provided an outpost for travelers into what was then the western frontier of the United States and as a base to launch attacks against the British in Detroit. In addition to threatening the British, Fort Laurens was an American presence to influence the actions of local Native Americans by offering protection to the Delaware and other neutral tribes to win their support against the British. Conversely, the location was chosen to help protect areas in Ohio and Pennsylvania from raids by Native American tribes allied with the British.

The fort was abandoned in 1779 and later torn down during construction of the Ohio and Erie Canal, but its original outline is still visible. Visitors can view the Tomb of the Unknown Patriot of the American Revolution, which holds the remains of 21 soldiers who lost their lives at the fort. The Fort Laurens Museum houses artifacts from the site and offers historical interpretation.